CLU freshmen, transfers clean up a mile of Ventura River bottom

In what has become an annual excursion, some 550 incoming students from California Lutheran University will descend into the Ventura Riverbed Tuesday with the goal of removing tons of trash. For the third year, CLU and the city are partnering in one of the largest service learning projects of its kind and their goal this year is to remove "10 tons in 2010." Clean-up begins at 1 p.m.

California Lutheran University students Aviana Kase, left, of San Gabriel and Drake Hunter of Oxnard help clean up trash underneath the Main Street bridge in the Ventura River bottom Tuesday.

Rob Varela / Star staff

Some of the hundreds of California Lutheran University students on hand, grab shovels and other tools as they prepare to clean up trash in the Ventura River bottom Tuesday.

Photos by Rob Varela / Star staff

California Lutheran University students clean up trash in a homeless encampment in the Ventura River bottom Tuesday.

Rob Varela / Star staff

California Lutheran University student Ryan Shuman of Newbury Park helps clean up trash in the Ventura River bottom Tuesday.

Rob Varela / Star staff

California Lutheran University students Christina Larsen of Denmark, left, and Christine Strand of Norway carry out a bag of trash as they help clean up trash in the Ventura River bottom Tuesday.

Rob Varela / Star staff

California Lutheran University student Joshua Dwyer of Singapore, right, helps carry out a mattress from a homeless encampment as he and hundreds of students clean up trash in the Ventura River bottom Tuesday.

Rob Varela / Star staff

California Lutheran University student Andy Ahn of Korea, and Christopher Sturgeon of Bakersfield, struggle to bring up a shopping cart filled with trash as they and hundreds of students clean up trash in the Ventura River bottom Tuesday.